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SPELLBOUND. Skills Packages for English Language Learners The English Language Unit. Background.
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SPELLBOUND Skills Packages for English Language Learners The English Language Unit
Background • English language impacts on the student’s whole learning experience and students who struggle with their English language development inevitably struggle with both their studies and their transition into university life. • This can affect the retention and progression, as well as the recruitment of future international students.
The typical international student • Enter Keele with an IELTS score of 6.0 • Cram schools often mean that a ‘true’ score is closer to 5.0 • Learning main subject content + developing English language skills = a sometimes insurmountable challenge • Stress, loss of face • May turn to alternative methods to ensure success • May return to (e.g.) China during the long breaks
Possible solutions • Increase the amount of time available for English classes = less time for main subjects • Increase pre-arrival contact with the ELU • Increase online resources • Increase contact with ELU during breaks • Increase in-class interactivity • Increase subject-specific resources
Deliverables • The ELU Welcome Web • Innovative use of the Interactive Whiteboard • Use of online resources via the KLE • Interactive resources using Studymate and Respondus • Individualised corpora for PGR students • E-tutorials using MSN/Skype for off-site students
Concordancing – investigating the use of vocabulary in context
Analysing the effectiveness • Student Feedback: “really useful – I feel more confident” “I use the e-tutorials a lot – they help me with my research when I’m in Sri Lanka” “The whiteboard in my English class is nice. I feel interested to look at it.” “I think the vocabulary development on KLE is useful. It helps me a lot with my writing.” “The language I use for my research is very specific and I cannot find it in a dictionary. The corpora that the ELU made for me is perfect because I can see which language is necessary and how it is used.”
Future Developments • Additional KLE-based resources. • Additional subject-specific vocabulary development. • Design and implementation of individual corpora focussing on different styles of research writing.